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Censorship

Censorship: To censor, or not to censor?
What is Censorship?Censor-ship- The practice of officially examining books, movies, etc., and suppressing unacceptable parts. This is the Merriam-Webster definition of censorship. However some may argue that this vague definition sheds little light on the many cases of censorship. People against censorship such as English scholars would argue that censorship is far more complex than the definition that Merriam – Webster has offered. Those against censorship would probably agree with the expose offered by www.conservativetruth.org, and it is as follows; Censorship is the suppression of ideas and information that certain persons—individuals, groups or government officials—find objectionable or dangerous. It is no more complicated than someone saying, “Don’t let anyone read this book, or buy that magazine, or view that film, because I object to it!” Censors try to use the power of the state to impose their view of what is truthful and appropriate, or offensive and objectionable, on everyone else. Censors pressure public institutions, like libraries, to suppress and remove from public access information they judge inappropriate or dangerous, so that no one else has the chance to read or view the material and make up their own minds about it. The censor wants to prejudge materials for everyone. What has been offered to us by www.conservativetruth.org seems to be quite bias. It seems if we are to ask supporters of censorship we would find that the definition once again changes quite drastically. We would be told that censorship is the right of society to protect young minds of the future generations from empty rhetoric or mature subject matter. Therefore the question to address is if censorship persists, then is intellectual freedom compromised. Which leads us to the history of censorship; now we will examine the roles of parents, teachers, the community, and government officials on censorship. As well as to how it relates to race, gender, and class. Perhaps then parents can answer the question for themselves to censor, or not to censor? Is censorship a legitimate instrument in regulating the moral and political life of the population? History of Censorship

For centuries books have been challenged, burned, and censored according to the moral constraints of various segments of American society. The first book burning in America took place in 1650, in Colonial Massachusetts. William Pynchon published his pamphlet The Meritorious Price of Our Redemption that dealt with the doctrine of atonement. After its publication, the General Court confiscated his written work and sentenced the book to be burned. Even after the Bills of Rights were established, the right of free speech was still being denied, as evidenced by the many examples of censorship in America. Reasons Books Are Censored

Literature is frequently censored when it oversteps socially accepted norms. “Anything that veers from traditional perspectives on sexuality, social roles, parental authority, and a wide variety of other such matters is considered taboo” and subject to censorship. Instead of exploring these taboos and breaking down the confusion which may exist, the books are completely banned and ignored. According to a national survey conducted in 1996 by People for the American Way, the primary reason most material was challenged was due to sexuality that was offensive or which contained the acceptable norms of that area of the country. The second reason most Material was banned was profane and objectionable language. The notion of censorship is more sensitive when it involves minors in a public school setting. What rights, restraints, and freedom to learn do these children possess? Does the First Amendment of the United States apply to citizens under the age of eighteen?

First Amendment and Free Speech

While the First Amendment constitutionally ensures the right to free speech, it is constantly...

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There is an importance, especially in modern societies, for the need of supervision and control of information and ideas that should or should not be made available to the public. One way in which information can be supervised and controlled is by censorship. In a society there can be arguments both for and against the need for censorship. Although most people believe in the importance of freedom of speech, there is also an importance to understand the advantages of having control of what is being said of written in a society. The arguments for the need of censorship in a society are mainly the...

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SPECIFIC GOAL: I want my audience to step up and stop censorship.
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I. (Attention getter): How are you all doing tonight? We have a problem! A problem that some of us don't even know exist. I beg you all to pay attention to your surrounding. The life we live today is in jeopardy. What we do today, or better yet what we don't do can have detrimental results in due time.
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III. THESIS: Today I am going to make you aware of the topic of censorship. I want
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BODY
I. (first main point) the first amendment of the Bill of Rights states: Congress shall
make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise
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...hips and thrusting his waist to the music. This made all the girls go wild for him but many found his dancing to be offensive and too much. Throughout history there have been people who oppose artists’ viewpoints, how these artists choose to express themselves. Music censorship restricts artists and not letting them express themselves through their music is wrong Music censorship is wrong because it damages the entire art world by limiting the ability of artists to express their viewpoints. Artist should be protected by the first amendment along with the rest of the U.S. citizens. Music censorship should not be accepted by the public and allowed to destroy this country’s freedom and the artist’s freedom.
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Since this country was founded, we have had a set of unalienable rights that our constitution guarantees us to as Americans. One of the most important rights that is mentioned in our constitution is the right to free speech. "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the
freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances." These are the exact words used by our country's forefathers when they made these amendments in the late 1700's. Ever since then there have been people trying to abolish this right by censoring things that the American public has a right to see if they so choose. Movies, books, music, thoughts, ideas, and literature are all things that have fallen victims to censorship in this country. The idea and practice of censorship is unconstitutional and should be completely abolished in all forms.
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...It’s not about Censorship, it’s about responsibility: Censorship in schools
Kirsten Heck
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Abstract
The article argues that book banning and censoring the student newspapers threaten the right to a free press and speech granted to the people in the U.S. under the First Amendment of the Constitution. The First Amendment allows citizens the right to access, to publish or to broadcast any content as long as it doesn’t. However, it is noted that censorship of publications challenges the freedom of expression and the right to free press. The negative implications of censorship are also discussed, along with the role of obscenity in publication.
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Censorship is the practice of officially examining books, movies, etc., and suppressing unacceptable parts. The arguments regarding censorship has become a big deal in the past 20 years but it has been around for so much longer than that....

...02/17/2008
CENSORSHIP IN SCHOOLS
School is a unique place that shapes the personality of every individual. Besides the instruction given by teachers, books and study materials greatly contribute towards individual development. When books are banned, students can lose important resources for learning about society and themselves. It is important to be conscious of the reasons for censorship. Otherwise, censorship can cut down on the effectiveness of education.
The ideals behind censorship are undeniably genuine. But censorship without valid justification often triggers a reaction because it conflicts with constitutional values; the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution prohibits the government from making laws that infringe upon the freedom of speech or freedom of press. (Wikipedia.org). Schools and libraries on various occasions use self discretion in banning material deemed not suitable for its students. This is often due to the fear of controversies and unfavorable reaction from parents. And yet, books can get banned even if they discuss valid subjects like human anatomy, gender equality, racism, religion, evolution, creationism and other important topics. Would we ban dictionaries and encyclopedias for carrying the same content? A major problem with censorship is the difficulty of setting clear limits for determining what materials should be banned.
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An amazing gift has been bestowed upon us: the Internet—a digital world capable of providing us with a plethora of diverse information, communication, and recreation. When we hear “diversity”, often times we correlate it to an event from which we can broaden our minds through exposure to a variety of differences. We can use an others cultural experiences and personal views and beliefs to challenge our own. The result of such an experience, whether negative or positive, can play a role in our own minds and generate a close and thorough self-examination. In the words of Socrates, “The unexamined life is not worth living.” (qtd. on Kemerling). But, imagine for a bit that people could not aid you in self-examination, for fear of offending you by challenging your beliefs. Visualize wanting to tell someone exactly how you feel and think, yet you know a dire consequence of censorship and banishment possibly awaits you. Imagine the masses being propagandized and their outspoken opinions silenced. Welcome to a once diversified digital world, now lacking First Amendment rights because of individuals with selfish personal agendas. Those who would violate such rights must be stopped, and I propose that not only do we preserve the first amendment on the Internet, but that we completely abolish and prevent any governmentally or corporation-ally instituted online law, act, or system, which may hinder such a right. We need...